Russian-speaking ransomware groups that emerged after the Conti group’s dissolution are collaborating closely and drawing inspiration from each other, with the Royal ransomware group refining its downloader malware based on tactics used by other post-Conti groups. The Royal group has developed its own loader, characterized by its small size and purpose of deploying Cobalt Strike.
Attacks are conducted by small, hierarchical teams, with an estimated 50 to 60 active participants, and the group collaborates with trusted individuals and services to gain initial access through various methods such as social engineering and exploiting vulnerabilities.
The Royal group targets multiple sectors, including critical infrastructure, exfiltrating data using legitimate cyber pentesting tools before encrypting systems and demanding ransoms ranging from $1 million to $11 million.
Furthermore, Royal has engaged in a social engineering campaign, targeting over 1,000 organizations by sending them a fake stolen data list file that is actually a version of the Royal malware loader. The group borrows strategies from successful ransomware groups, utilizing trusted DLLs and exploiting vulnerabilities like the Microsoft Windows print spooler vulnerability.
Other ransomware groups, such as Black Basta, have also used similar techniques, infecting systems with downloaders to install Cobalt Strike and Brute Ratel tools. The development of their own loaders by groups like Royal suggests that access to certain tools has become restricted, prompting the need for independent loader development.
This highlights the longevity of proven attack strategies used by ransomware groups, even as their names and tools may change over time.
